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Clarion Weekend, 21 November 2025

Clarion Weekend, 21 November 2025
The demonstration in support of Palestine Action on Broad Street. Photo by Roger Close.

Weekly weekend warmth from the Clarion right this way. It may be cold, but in here are gems of stories to warm your heart. Plus the latest on the illegal rubbish dump in Kidlington and bird flu in Witney.

This week’s top stories

We wrote an article about college cats. No politics, no infrastructure. Just cats, and a cat map. We hope it cheers up your week. (Thank you all for the lovely comments on social media. We were like Cheshire cats all Thursday…)

College cats of Oxford
Once upon a time, we featured an image of Magdalen’s kitten, Ozymandias, in our newsletter. We figured it might be a gentle contrast to our regular diet of planning and local politics. The grey ball of fluff with blue steel eyes proved so popular that we got repeated requests for
Oxford ClarionOxford Clarion

Campaigners and politicians have been petitioning the Government to urgently act on the illegal dump in Kidlington. At Prime Minister’s Questions this week, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called it “a shocking environmental emergency”, blaming “organised criminal gangs”, and asked Keir Starmer to order an immediate cleanup.

The Prime Minister replied: “These are utterly appalling scenes and specialist officers are tracking down those responsible… the Environment Agency will use all available powers to make sure the perpetrators cover the costs of the cleanup which must now follow.”

Oxfordshire’s own MPs have joined the chorus. Bicester & Woodstock MP Calum Miller on Monday raised an Urgent Question to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. MP for Banbury, Sean Woodcock, whose constituency the Cherwell flows through, spoke up in the same debate.

Cherwell District Council issued a statement saying that it was first alerted to illegal activity at the site in June. Because the case is beyond the council’s jurisdiction for enforcement, it was referred to the Environment Agency which confirmed that it would lead the investigation in July. Cllr Ian Middleton said: "Those responsible for this need to be brought to justice. I call on the government to work closely with the Environment Agency to ensure they have whatever they need to swiftly clear this site before worsening weather turns this into a wider environmental catastrophe.”

(There are several petitions doing the rounds: here’s one by Friends of the Thames which has over 15,000 signatures at the time of writing.)

Arrests at the Palestine Action protest. (Photos by Roger Close.)

Police arrested 20 people protesting in Oxford against the government’s proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. The protests were part of a day of action in what Defend our Juries describe as “the most widespread civil disobedience campaign in modern British history”.

Protesters sat outside the Clarendon Building in Broad Street, bearing signs that said “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action”. More than 20 police arrested the protesters in shifts, filling police vans before returning to make further arrests.

Teresa Garlake, 62, a former teacher from Oxford, said: “I will be sitting with my sign because I am asking my government to end its involvement in a genocide. I’ll be holding a sign with seven words on it, and I'm likely be arrested as a terrorist for this. How this can happen in a democracy?“

Oxford City Council’s planning committee has rejected a plan by two colleges to build padel courts and new footpaths because, among other reasons, it “fails to preserve the openness of the Green Belt”.

Exeter and Hertford colleges had planned to jointly redevelop their existing sports grounds, whose buildings have been boarded up due to vandalism. They proposed padel courts, a basketball and netball court, refurbishing the pavilions, and increased access to the facilities for local residents.

However, City Council officers recommended the plans for refusal, calling them “inappropriate development in the Green Belt”. They also said the plans were not “water-compatible” in flooding terms and that the padel court would detract from “the surrounding green spine and New Marston Meadows”.

Councillors at Tuesday’s meeting were split on the application. Cllr Emily Kerr, speaking in favour of the plans, spoke of “the idea that we can’t have kids using facilities for sports because somebody walking at some distance might see something”. Cllr Anna Railton, also supporting, said: “I think the Green Belt should be working for the people of Oxford. This is still going to remain a very open site. As for the setting of New Marston Meadows – you know, that ship slightly sailed when Marston got built next to it.”

Nick Badman, bursar of Exeter College, said: “What we’re after tonight is an outbreak of common sense.” However, the majority vote went against the application, with Cllr Ajaz Rehman saying “It’s too big where it is and we cannot ignore the Green Belt. Already lots of the Green Belt is taken.”

Oxford City Council is currently promoting its Greater Oxford plan which would see an enlarged council building houses in the Green Belt. It says its aim is “efficient land use and appropriate densification to minimise rural land-take”.

Patriotic Millionaires bus in East Oxford (photo by Roger Close); the new site of the Vaults.

Around the city

  • Oxford’s Vaults & Garden is moving across the High to King Edward St. The café closes next Thursday after a long dispute with the University Church. It will reopen on the site of the same owner’s Chick Pea falafel shop, which will then move to the High Street.
  • Four men have been arrested in an investigation into a targeted cryptocurrency robbery in Oxford. On 4 November, masked men entered a car and stole a £450,000 watch before forcing one of the passengers to transfer $1.5m in crypto. The car was left in Five Mile Drive in north Oxford. Thames Valley Police are appealing for anyone with information to get in touch.
  • The Patriotic Millionaires bus stopped in Oxford to encourage people to back a call for the Chancellor to “tax wealth, not work” in next week's budget. The non-partisan network of British millionaires, whose slogan is “tax us, the super-rich”, say they want to build a better Britain by changing the system to end extreme wealth, with the most well-off making a fair contribution. The organisation includes James Perry, founder of the B-corp movement, and Graham Hobson, Photobox founder.
  • The Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, has announced his retirement after 10 years. Bishop Gavin, currently Bishop of Dorchester, will serve as acting Bishop until a successor is appointed. Bishop Steven’s final service will be on 31 May in Christ Church Cathedral.
  • Oxford is ranked 10th in the ‘best places in the UK for winter adventures’, according to analysis by Go Outdoors, who shut their store in Oxford a year ago. Oxford has more than five times as many pubs with real fires as top-placed Inverness, 49 Christmas market days, and ‘66.3 easy hikes per 50km²’. Oxfordshire’s nearest remaining Go Outdoor stores are Banbury, High Wycombe and Swindon; at least two members of the Clarion team are still in mourning for the one on the Abingdon Road. Still, Christmas market anyone? (The market opens on 22 November.)
  • Botley Pavilion is being redeveloped. The new space will have accessible toilets and changing rooms, plus a hall for the youth club. Later phases will see extra rooms added to host more events. Vale of White Horse has given £250,000 to the project.
  • In a hit-and-run collision on Monday, a driver hit a 12-year old boy on a bicycle on Church Cowley Road – described as “truly shocking” by PC Naomi Padgett. She continued: “We are incredibly relieved that the boy is now recovering. Even the smallest detail could be vital to our investigation.”

Around the county

  • “Effective progress” is being made on special educational needs in Oxfordshire, according to Government inspectors sent in after the county failed its inspection in 2023. Parent/carer organisation OxPCF says “This is the beginning of a journey – but many families may not yet feel the benefits.”
            The review included meeting with parents and carers of children and young people with SEND, and education, health and social care professionals. It found improvement on all five priority action areas, including shorter waiting times for education, health & care plans (EHCPs).
            For OCC, Cllr Sean Gaul said: “We have been working extremely hard to make necessary improvements, but we will never allow ourselves to be complacent. The inspectors’ report is a milestone, providing valuable feedback and recommendations to ensure consistency across every aspect of SEND provision.”
            OxPCF said: “For some, day-to-day experiences remain extremely difficult. We want to acknowledge that honestly. Both realities can exist at once: families are facing significant challenges, and there are also people who are genuinely committed to making things better.” (Further reading: Ofsted/CQC report, Oxfordshire County Council’s statement, OxPCF’s response.)
  • A dead swan found at Witney Lake has tested positive for bird flu (H5N1). A second swan has since died. Witney Town Council says it is working with the appropriate agencies and has asked people not to collect or touch dead birds, but to contact the Defra helpline.
  • A music and farming festival with the slogan “where beets meet beats” has been announced for May 2026 at Cornbury Park, near Charlbury. Meadow Fest’s lineup will include the Fratellis, Alabama 3, Reef and Sleeper. Activities include farming workshops and a farmers’ market. In a blog posting with more than a slight hint of ChatGPT about it, organisers Stage Crash Events say “it’s not just a festival; it’s a full-on sensory love affair with the land”, and that “we’re not just chucking on a gig; we’re sparking a movement”. #emdashes
  • In Eynsham, a plan for 83 one- and two-bed apartments beside the A40, on the western edge of the town, has been put forward. The proposal for Derrymerrye Farm would nestle next to a planned major housing development at West Eynsham.
  • The City of Oxford Guild of Chefs has launched a campaign to get more locals into cheffing as the industry continues to face a shortage of skilled professionals. The campaign features five leading Oxfordshire chefs sharing their stories.
  • Oxfordshire County Council has announced changes to its Household Waste Recycling Centres (aka tips), with reduced winter hours from 2027, van and trailer permits reduced to 10 per year, residents outside of Oxfordshire to pay £15 per visit, and a new booking system from early 2026. Over 5,000 people participated in the consultation. Cllr Judy Roberts said: “Oxfordshire residents are prevented from using neighbouring authority facilities, while their residents are still able to use those in Oxfordshire. The introduction of a reasonable fee for residents from outside will help the council to meet these extra costs, without ruling out access altogether.”
  • Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber has announced a new support service for road traffic victims. PCC funds are supporting a proof of concept with road safety charity Brake, delivering emotional and practical support to those seriously injured as a result of a road traffic incident. Barber commented: “Road safety forms a key part of my Police and Crime Plan. By commissioning a dedicated, local road victim support service, this will further support the work set out in my Road Safety Strategy in an effort to reduce the impact of road traffic collisions on residents.”
  • In Witney, a row has broken out between two councillors and an Enoch Powell quote. Labour’s Duncan Enright criticised Conservative councillor James Robertshaw – who defeated him in May’s County Council election by just 19 votes – for sharing the material. He followed up by saying “this has crossed a boundary and I am glad he has now taken this down”.
  • Plans have been lodged for 200 new homes and a community building – which could potentially house a doctor’s surgery – on the site of a golf course in Shrivenham. Bloor Homes also propose an ‘active travel corridor’, new zebra crossings, and cycle lanes to the site. The housing would be a mixture of detached, semi-detached and terraced homes. 35% would be affordable. The application is opposed by Shrivenham Park Golf Club, but they do not own the land. Shrivenham is next to the Great Western main line; its station closed in 1964.
  • A planned new glamping site on the edge of Charlbury has been turned down by planners. A local family was proposing eight bell tents, seven shepherds’ huts and a partridge in a pear tree three pods. West Oxfordshire District Council said the proposal did not “accord with the aims and the objectives of the Conservation Target Areas”.
  • West Oxfordshire District Council has opened a consultation into where to build new homes in the district. The majority of the proposed sites are in the A40 corridor around Witney and Carterton, with smaller proposals in the towns of Chipping Norton, Charlbury and Burford. The survey (with online map) is open until 22 December.
  • Vale of White Horse District Council continues its release of developer (S106) funds, with an announcement of £96,432 grant to Sweatbox Community Youth Services, supporting children and young people around Wantage and Grove. Michelle Rozier, Sweatbox: “Demand for our youth services has never been higher, and this support will help us keep doing what matters most.”

Lime hire bike; Wallingford Bridge (Robin Stevens, CC-BY-NC-ND);

Walking, cycling and boating

  • A coalition of active travel advocates is calling for a significant expansion of shared e-bike and e-scooter schemes in Oxford, currently provided by Voi and Lime. They say shared bikes are a vital part of the solution to Oxford's transport problems, and have transformed cycling in London. Cyclox, CoHSAT, and Oxfordshire Liveable Streets argue the schemes should serve every neighbourhood in the city, and an expansion of dedicated, on-road parking infrastructure should go hand-in-hand with service providers cracking down on anti-social parking of their vehicles. Ian Loader, Cyclox, said: “The introduction of the Congestion Charge creates an opportunity to expand alternatives to car travel to get into and around Oxford. Shared e-bikes and e-scooters must be one of those alternatives. Expanding the scheme means more than tinkering. It demands real ambition.”
  • The Oxford Canal could be closed again next spring as a result of this summer’s low rainfall. Even if this winter sees rainfall at 100% of the long-term average, the Canal & River Trust expects significant closures – one of just two canals to be affected so badly. If winter rainfall is only 60% of the long-term average, the Oxford Canal would be fully closed and there could be “a very high risk to public safety”. The Trust will be carrying out reservoir repairs this winter, which will mean the water level is reduced and potentially affect their ability to refill.
  • A walking and cycling plan for the Wallingford area envisages better links to Cholsey station, a wider footway across Wallingford Bridge, and more 20mph speed limits. Consultation is open until 7 January.
  • Do you want to ride your horse on the Witney bypass? Thought not. But there’s a consultation open on banning horses from the dual carriageway. (It’s about stopping pony-and-trap racing rather than taking Dobbin for a canter.)

Books

  • Waterstones Oxford posted “Not long now…” on Instagram this week as a teaser for their Queen Street opening. As we reported in October, the company has applied for an alcohol licence to take effect from Monday (24 November).
  • Legenda: The real women behind the myths that shaped Europe is the new book by Woodstock’s Janina Ramirez. Her launch campaign is targeting independent bookshops. Early Christmas present?
  • “A counterweight to propaganda” is how OUP’s Sophie Goldsworthy describes the university publisher in a fascinating interview with the Bookseller.

Badger badger badger; market market; it’s a 16th century composer of choral music!

This weekend

  • The Broad Street Christmas Market starts on Saturday. The Alpine Lodge bar is returning plus all the usual stalls. Don’t forget to visit the pop-up shop at number 8 with businesses from Botley Road.
  • Phaser x Hyperstition (£), Fri 21 Nov, The Nest. Hyperpop meets nightcore at Oxford's newest venue on Little Clarendon Street. Hosted by Oxford University music magazine Phaser.
  • Master Elemanzer (£), Fri 21 Nov, Jericho Tavern. Hiphop meets horrorcore at Oxford's long-established venue on Walton Street. The support act promises 'cinematic griefwave'.
  • Bodies – Beyond the Human (£), Fri/Sat, Old Fire Station. A 'visceral journey' through Japanese butoh dance.
  • Discover John Taverner (£), Sat 22 Nov, Christ Church. Study afternoon devoted to the composer, for the 500th anniversary of his appointment in Oxford.
  • The Writer's Way, Sat 22 Nov, Balliol College. Afternoon talk with Andrey Kurkov, author of Death and the Penguin and president of PEN Ukraine. Free, booking required.
  • Queerfest (£), Sat 22 Nov, Wadham College. DJs and drag at the annual student ball. Afterparty at Plush.
  • Made in Oxford Christmas Market, Sun 23 Nov, Caper. Ceramics, jewellery, and prints from local makers.
  • Radiohead x Nosferatu (£), Sun/Mon, Ultimate Picture Palace. 'Silents Synced' soundtrack the 1922 horror with Kid A and Amnesiac.
  • 100% Badgers (£), Sun 23 Nov, Tap Social, Botley. An evening of comedy entirely about badgers from Matt Hobs, host of Oxford's Stand-Up Science.
  • Greek Minorities & Minorities in Greece (£), Sun 23 Nov, University College. Local choir Nostos perform traditional songs from Greece and the Balkans.
  • Oxford Indie Book Fair, Sun 23 Nov, Examination Schools. Authors and publishers, comics and history, sci-fi and science in this perennially interesting event.

This week

  • Ancient Greek Choir Workshop, Mon 24 Nov, St John's College. Come and sing hymns from ancient Greece. No prior knowledge of music or language needed.
  • Discarded (£), Tue 25 Nov, Earth Sciences, South Parks Road. Technofossils of the Anthropocene: how your stuff will become our future fossil record.
  • The Nigel Farage I Know (£), Tue 25 Nov, St Barnabas Church. UKIP & Reform press officer Gawain Towler speaks to My Jericho.
  • Decoding Democracy, Tue 25 Nov, Jesus College. The Oxford Internet Institute presents a panel discussion on politics, data, and AI. Free, booking required.
  • Budget Live, Wed 26 Nov, Abbey Cinema, Abingdon. Watch the Budget on the big screen (free, booking required). Starring Rachel Reeves. Popcorn for sale.
  • John Williams: A Composer's Life, Wed 26 Nov, Rothermere American Institute. Free talk with the author of a new biography of the film composer.
  • The Blacksmith at the Bridge of Bones (£), Thu 27 Nov, Story Museum. Wayland the Smith retold by storyteller Ben Haggarty. Age 14+.
  • The British Political Scene, Thu 27 Nov, Blavatnik School of Government. Election expert Sir John Curtice talks to My Jericho (free, booking required).
  • Coffee Rave (£), Thu 27 Nov, The Larder, Magdalen Road. Cosy music in aid of Amnesty International.

Oxfordshire’s independent media

Notes from Clarion HQ

Today is Ask Her To Stand day. Have you ever thought of standing as a councillor? Research shows women often wait to be asked three times, or more. But we don’t think it’s a coincidence that in the padel court debate we reported above, the smartest contributions were from women. We need great councillors of all political stripes. If you think you can do it, stand; and if you need to be put in touch with a local party, any party, the Clarion can help. Your county needs you.

Publishing two newsletters a week means our Thursday night mad edit session has turned into a relaxed ‘how do we make it better’ over coffee early Friday morning. We hope it's working for you. We're grateful for all the feedback so far. Keep sharing the Clarion out in the world if you feel able to, but above all keep talking to us; we’re at news@oxfordclarion.uk. Have a great weekend, stay warm, and see you in your inbox on Tuesday.